There are hundreds of great classic novels out there to read. Choosing which ones to read is no easy task. That is why we made a list of 9 classics that everyone should read. Keep reading to find out which ones made our list! 

This is a follow up to a previous list of classics that everyone should read that you can check out here. That is why some obvious classics didn’t make this list. These classics are also must reads which is why we had to make another list to include them.

It is hard to not make this list 50 books long but that would make it a lot harder to navigate. Instead, we chose 9 of our favorite classics that we believe you will love. You can see the full list below! 

9 Classics That Everyone Should Read 

The Time Machine by H. G. Wells 

When people think about classics, few people ever bring up the classic novel The Time Machine by H. G. Wells It is credited as being the first novel to use a machine to go purposely forward or backward in time. Wells is also credited for creating the term “time machine.” Without this novel, we don’t know how sci-fi novels would look like.

The protagonist, only identified as the Time Traveler uses a Time Machine to travel to the year 802,700. Everything is different and he plans to study this unfamiliar world. He plans to learn the secrets of the year 802,700 and apply them to his own year.

But before he can do that, he must find his time machine, It has been stolen and without it, the Time Traveling is stuck in the future. This novel is exceptional and different than your typical classic novel.

One Hundred Years of Solitude

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

There is always going to a novel in your to-read list that you take your time to read. And when you do read it, you will be angry at yourself for not reading it sooner. For me, that novel was  One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. It is to this day one of the best books that I have ever read.

After killing Prudencio Aguilar because of an argument, José Arcadio Buendía and his wife Úrsula Iguarán leave town to search for another place to live. Eventually, they settle near a riverbank and call their new home Macondo.

What follows is the story of seven generations of the Buendía family and the rise and fall of Macondo. The stories of the family go from happy to sad and happy again as the town they live in goes through changes, sweeping the family along as a result.

Every single page of this novel was perfect and I am glad that I did read this. It is easily one of the best books I read in 2025 and one I will revisit next year. Gabriel García Márquez went on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature because of this novel in 1982.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 

The Great Gatsby boo cover
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

A novel that is considered one of the greatest works of American literature The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. While I wouldn’t put it in my list of favorite novels, it is one that I believe has earned its reputation as a must read novel.

Jay Gatsby has recently arrived at the West Egg part of Long Island and rumors of his extravagant parties have made him famous. Nobody knows how he accumulated his wealth but they want to befriend the millionaire. 

Gatsby himself has his own plans and wants to right the wrongs of the past. He wants to reunite with his lost love no matter the cost. This timeless classic novel captures the magic of the roaring twenties before the Great Depression. 

Other Novels

There is a good chance that you probably have heard of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. It is a novel that is assigned in many classrooms and a right of passage for English majors. The novel is considered one of the greatest works of literature and that is why you should read it if you haven’t already.

In high school, I remember reading The Color Purple by Alice Walker for class. It is a powerful book that might not be an easy read but it is an important work of literature. The novel won the two biggest awards in literature, the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.

Conclusion 

That is all for our list of 9 classics that everyone should read. The list includes some of the greatest novels written. No matter which novels you end up choosing to read, you are in for a treat. This is a list that I stand by and there aren’t many books that I would choose over these novels.

How many of these have you read or plan to read? What classics should we include in our next list? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, happy reading!

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